Showing posts with label personal growth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal growth. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Acknowledge the Good

We all have our ups and downs, our happy and sad, and our good times and bad. We have the times when we feel uplifted and the times when we feel dragged down. It's normal to at some point feel like you have the weight of an anchor tied around your feet pulling you down deeper. We wouldn't be human if we didn't have a mix of emotions all throughout our lives. If you ever feel envious of someone else because they 'appear' to have everything under control - look again and look closer. None of us are that perfect and none of us are without blemish, BUT we do have the ability to look for the good in almost every situation.

If we are lucky others will be there to support us in our less than good moments; when we're not feeling well, we're feeling sad or anxious, or feeling lonely. On the same token we'd hope to be able to share the good times with those around us. When something good happens don't keep it to yourself - embrace it and share it. Don't be afraid to be grateful and happy. Others won't be jealous or think you're gloating, as long as there is a balance. Show your vulnerable side from time to time and they'll genuinely be thrilled for you when the good things happen. Don't just share the good without the bad; likewise don't just share the bad without the good.

Whatever obstacles life throws at you, look for the good in them or at least the good that can come out of them. I never asked to come from a divorced family, BUT in doing so I realized what I wanted to strive for in my own marriage. I certainly never wanted to have breast cancer. I can stand here today as an 8-year survivor and say that my having cancer was probably the worst and the best thing that ever happened to me. The worst being I was scared and really sick for the better part of a year. The best being that the experience showed me the love and support of family and friends and helped me get my priorities in order. Some things we just have to learn the hard way, but in the end we are stronger for having endured it.

Try to look for the good in every situation, even if it's not overly obvious at first. Be persistent. Look again and again and again if needed. You or someone else could ultimately learn from your obstacle, your less than desirable experience, or your pain and discomfort.

What's been one of your toughest moments that went full circle and turned into something good?